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maximum dinobots|transformers maximum dinobots|transformers: maximum dinobots|the transformers maximum dinobots|the transformers: maximum dinobots=The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots
premierecollection|premiere collection|the transformers: the premiere collection=The Transformers: The Premiere Collection
all hail megatron|transformers all hail megatron|transformers: all hail megatron|the transformers all hail megatron|the transformers: all hail megatron=The Transformers: All Hail Megatron
the idw collection|the transformers: the idw collection=The Transformers: The IDW Collection
the transformers|the transformers (ongoing)=The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers vol. 1
wreckers|last stand of the wreckers|transformers last stand of the wreckers|transformers: last stand of the wreckers|the transformers last stand of the wreckers|the transformers: last stand of the wreckers=The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers
the idw collection|g.i. joe: the idw collection=G.I. Joe: The IDW Collection
infestation=Infestation (IDW)|Infestation
infestation 2=Infestation 2
heart of darkness|transformers heart of darkness|transformers: heart of darkness|the transformers heart of darkness|the transformers: heart of darkness=The Transformers: Heart of Darkness
tdoop|death of optimus prime|the death of optimus prime|transformers: the death of optimus prime=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime
more than meets the eye|transformers: more than meets the eye|the transformers: more than meets the eye=The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
robots in disguise|transformers: robots in disguise=The Transformers: Robots in Disguise
dark cybertron=Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron
drift:eos|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: empire of stone|transformers: drift: empire of stone|the transformers drift: empire of stone|drift: empire of stone=The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone
the transformers: windblade=The Transformers: Windblade
sins of the wreckers|transformers sins of the wreckers|transformers: sins of the wreckers|the transformers sins of the wreckers|the transformers: sins of the wreckers=The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers
gijoe5|gijoevol5|g.i. joe vol. 5|gi joe vol 5=G.I. Joe vol. 5
hasbro heroes sourcebook=Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook
micronauts=Micronauts (comic)|Micronauts
wrath of karza|micronauts wrath of karza|micronauts: wrath of karza=Micronauts: Wrath of Karza
first strike=First Strike
ROM
rom dire wraiths|rom: dire wraiths=Rom: Dire Wraiths
romamn|rom&mn|rom and the micronauts|rom & the micronauts=Rom & the Micronauts
rom vs transformers|shining armor|rom vs. transformers|rom vs transformers: shining armor|rom vs transformers: shining armor=Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor
m.a.s.k.|m. a. s. k.|mask mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k. mobile armored strike kommand|mask: mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k.: mobile armored strike command=M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand
scarletts strike force|scarlett's strike force=Scarlett's Strike Force
transformers vs visionaries|transformers vs. visionaries=Transformers vs. Visionaries
requiem of the wreckers|transformers requiem of the wreckers|transformers: requiem of the wreckers=Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{{series}}}
[[{{#switch:{{{series}}}
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
#| }}{{#if: |issues:}}{{#ifeq: | Category
[[Category:IDW {{#switch:{{#switch:{{{series}}}
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{{series}}}}}
{{#switch:prime
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{#switch:primeadaptation
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{#switch:ragedinobots
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
ragedinobots}}=Prime
{{#switch:rid2015
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
rid2015}}=Robots in Disguise (2015)
{{#switch:{{{series}}}
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=War for Cybertron
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Fall of Cybertron
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)|primeadaptation|prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Prime
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Prime – Rage of the Dinobots
maximum dinobots|transformers maximum dinobots|transformers: maximum dinobots|the transformers maximum dinobots|the transformers: maximum dinobots=The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots
premierecollection|premiere collection|the transformers: the premiere collection=The Transformers: The Premiere Collection
all hail megatron|transformers all hail megatron|transformers: all hail megatron|the transformers all hail megatron|the transformers: all hail megatron=The Transformers: All Hail Megatron
the idw collection|the transformers: the idw collection=The Transformers: The IDW Collection
the transformers|the transformers (ongoing)=The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers vol. 1
wreckers|last stand of the wreckers|transformers last stand of the wreckers|transformers: last stand of the wreckers|the transformers last stand of the wreckers|the transformers: last stand of the wreckers=The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers
the idw collection|g.i. joe: the idw collection=G.I. Joe: The IDW Collection
infestation=Infestation (IDW)|Infestation
infestation 2=Infestation 2
heart of darkness|transformers heart of darkness|transformers: heart of darkness|the transformers heart of darkness|the transformers: heart of darkness=The Transformers: Heart of Darkness
tdoop|death of optimus prime|the death of optimus prime|transformers: the death of optimus prime=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime
more than meets the eye|transformers: more than meets the eye|the transformers: more than meets the eye=The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
robots in disguise|transformers: robots in disguise=The Transformers: Robots in Disguise
dark cybertron=Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron
drift:eos|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: empire of stone|transformers: drift: empire of stone|the transformers drift: empire of stone|drift: empire of stone=The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone
the transformers: windblade=The Transformers: Windblade
sins of the wreckers|transformers sins of the wreckers|transformers: sins of the wreckers|the transformers sins of the wreckers|the transformers: sins of the wreckers=The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers
gijoe5|gijoevol5|g.i. joe vol. 5|gi joe vol 5=G.I. Joe vol. 5
hasbro heroes sourcebook=Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook
micronauts=Micronauts (comic)|Micronauts
wrath of karza|micronauts wrath of karza|micronauts: wrath of karza=Micronauts: Wrath of Karza
first strike=First Strike
ROM
rom dire wraiths|rom: dire wraiths=Rom: Dire Wraiths
romamn|rom&mn|rom and the micronauts|rom & the micronauts=Rom & the Micronauts
rom vs transformers|shining armor|rom vs. transformers|rom vs transformers: shining armor|rom vs transformers: shining armor=Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor
m.a.s.k.|m. a. s. k.|mask mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k. mobile armored strike kommand|mask: mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k.: mobile armored strike command=M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand
scarletts strike force|scarlett's strike force=Scarlett's Strike Force
transformers vs visionaries|transformers vs. visionaries=Transformers vs. Visionaries
requiem of the wreckers|transformers requiem of the wreckers|transformers: requiem of the wreckers=Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers
maximum dinobots|transformers maximum dinobots|transformers: maximum dinobots|the transformers maximum dinobots|maximum dinobots=Maximum Dinobots
all hail megatron|transformers all hail megatron|transformers: all hail megatron|the transformers all hail megatron|all hail megatron=All Hail Megatron
the transformers|the transformers (ongoing)|the transformers (idw)=IDW The Transformers
wreckers|last stand of the wreckers|transformers last stand of the wreckers|transformers: last stand of the wreckers|the transformers last stand of the wreckers|last stand of the wreckers=Last Stand of the Wreckers
transformers drift|transformers: drift|the transformers drift|drifteos|drift:eos|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: empire of stone|transformers: drift: empire of stone|the transformers drift: empire of stone|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: origins and empires|transformers drift: origins & empires|origins and empires|origins & empires=Drift
heart of darkness|transformers heart of darkness|transformers: heart of darkness|the transformers heart of darkness|heart of darkness=Heart of Darkness
tdoop|death of optimus prime|the death of optimus prime|transformers: the death of optimus prime=The Death of Optimus Prime
more than meets the eye|transformers: more than meets the eye=IDW More than Meets the Eye
robots in disguise|transformers: robots in disguise|ongoing2|exrid|the transformers (idw) vol. 2=IDW Robots in Disguise (2012)
dark cybertron=Dark Cybertron
the transformers: windblade|windblade2|windblade2015|the transformers: windblade vol. 2|the transformers: windblade (2015)=Windblade
transformers vs gi joe|transformers vs. g.i. joe=Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
sotw|wreckers2|sins of the wreckers|transformers sins of the wreckers|transformers: sins of the wreckers|the transformers sins of the wreckers|the transformers: sins of the wreckers=Sins of the Wreckers
lost light|transformers lost light|the transformers lost light|transformers: lost light|the transformers: lost light=Lost Light
till all are one|Till All Are One|transformers till all are one|transformers: till all are one|the transformers till all are one|the transformers: till all are one=Till All Are One
revolution=Revolution
revolutionaries=Revolutionaries
action man=Action Man
gijoe5|g.i. joe vol 5|g.i. joe vol. 5|g.i. joe volume 5|g.i. joe (vol. 5)|g.i. joe (volume 5)=G.I. Joe vol. 5
g.i. joe idw collection=G.I. Joe: The IDW Collection
first strike=First Strike
hasbro heroes sourcebook=Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook
micronauts=Micronauts
wrath of karza|micronauts wrath of karza|micronauts: wrath of karza=Micronauts: Wrath of Karza
rom=ROM
rom dire wraiths|rom: dire wraiths=Rom: Dire Wraiths
romamn|rom&mn|rom and the micronauts|rom & the micronauts=Rom & the Micronauts
rom vs transformers|shining armor|rom vs. transformers|rom vs transformers: shining armor|rom vs. transformers: shining armor=Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor
m.a.s.k.|m. a. s. k.|mask mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k. mobile armored strike kommand|mask: mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k.: mobile armored strike command=M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand
scarletts strike force|scarlett's strike force=Scarlett's Strike Force
transformers vs visionaries|transformers vs. visionaries=Transformers vs. Visionaries
requiem of the wreckers|transformers requiem of the wreckers|transformers: requiem of the wreckers=Requiem of the Wreckers
Arcee has been tearing a path of destruction across the galaxy in an attempt to eliminate Jhiaxus and purge his handiwork from the universe. In the Van-Dema Sector, Arcee rampages through the Stellar Cartography Archive until she runs into Ultra Magnus, who's been authorized under the terms of the Tyrest Accord to bring her in. As they fight, Magnus demands an explanation for her erratic behavior, but he can't understand her cryptic ramblings that she's the only thing standing between them and the end of the universe. Finally, after a protracted fight, Magnus knocks her down with a shock grenade and hauls her away. As they leave, a pair of Cybertronians watch them go; some time later, those same Transformers report to Jhiaxus that the Nega-Core hidden in the facility remains unharmed. Pleased, Jhiaxus confirms that they will continue their preparation for the Expansion...
Some time later, Arcee has been transferred to the Garrus-9 prison, where her spark has been extracted from her body and interred in "The Rig" alongside the sparks of many other notorious Autobots and Decepticons. Warden Fortress Maximus is eager to transfer the recently captured "Monstructor Six" into similar accommodations, but Jetfire and the Technobots remind him that spark extraction is always an option of last resort, and that their remit is to attempt reformation before incarceration. However, Monstructor's components have resisted all forms of treatment thus far. Maximus is concerned that their unique combiner physiology will draw the attention of the Decepticons... and he's proven right when Banzaitron, acting on a tip-off from Doubledealer, sends the Combaticons to steal this so-called gestalt technology for his Decepticon Secret Service. The Combaticons strike at precisely the right grid-sensor-shuffling moment, breach the facility, and easily overrun the Autobot garrison. With no reinforcements on the way, Fortress Maximus makes the drastic decision: recruit the most dangerous Autobot prisoner on the docket and convince them to help them...
As Arcee comes to, Fortress Maximus explains that they're under siege from some of the toughest Decepticons around. Initially, Arcee has no interest in helping her captor, but Maximus explains that their newest prisoners owe their existence to Jhiaxus, and the Decepticons want to get their hands on this revolutionary combiner technology. Arcee immediately changes her tune, but Fortress warns her that she's been fitted with a synchronized g-force crusher to keep her in line—if she turns on her nominal allies, Maximus can terminate her by remotely crushing her spark chamber.
As Jetfire and the Technobots struggle to hold the line against the encroaching Decepticons, Scattershot and Afterburner prepare a contingency measure that will immediately kill the Monstructor Six and keep them out of Decepticon hands. At that moment, however, Arcee leaps into battle; although she easily fights her way through the Combaticons, she's too late to prevent Vortex from tripping an orbital bounce that teleports their six targets of interest directly out from under the Autobots. Arcee proposes that she be released to hunt them down, as her own history has given her an uncanny ability to track down Jhiaxus and his creations. When Jetfire asks what really happened between the two, Arcee finally reveals that she was one of Jhiaxus's early experiments, an attempt to introduce gender into the Cybertronian species by altering her CNA; it is for this reason that the other Transformers around her unconsciously refer to her with female pronouns. Traumatized from his mistreatment and subsequent abandonment, all the vengeful Autobot can think of now is wiping out Jhiaxus and expunging his influence from the universe.
Fortress Maximus initially disagrees and threatens to trip Arcee's g-force crusher unless she returns to captivity, but Jetfire ultimately persuades his comrade to let her go—after all, at this point, they've got nothing to lose. As Arcee stalks away, Maximus comments that, if Jhiaxus really is still out there, he almost feels sorry for him...
Jhiaxus and talk of the Expansion is part of the growing Dead Universe storyline, which will pay off in Revelation, and then again in Chaos, and then again in Dark Cybertron.
Later stories will clarify it's not being a lone female in a boy's toyline that traumatises Arcee, but the fact of being experimented on against her will and then discarded.
Arcee states that she was the first female Transformer experiment and it is implied she is something rare and (perhaps) unique. However nothing in the issue states that she was the only female Transformer created due to Jhiaxus's program. Indeed, in Megatron Origin and All Hail Megatron a number of female Transformers make cameo appearances. However, as the comics went on, Arcee would be treated as the only female Transformer by other writers until "Dark Cybertron" introduced ones from other worlds. Lost Light #8 would later retcon that the female Transformer cameos were Cybertronians but weren't the result of Jhiaxus, instead the result of Cybertronians going offworld and coming to self-realisation that they were female.
Arcee's reference to gendered pronouns makes little sense in the original context. It stands to reason that a race originally entirely devoid of gender would lack sexually-oriented pronouns in their native language. So the use of "he" and "she" would likely be supplemented with a uniform variation of "they" for everybody. Once female Transformers were retconned as having previously existed, the existence of the pronouns makes sense.
Arcee's backstory of being an unwitting experiment comes up in "An Uneventful Night", where she's out to destroy the Enigma of Combination so nobody else can be altered against their will, and more broadly in the second half of Barber's Transformers ongoing as she's mistrustful of 'great men' figures on a cause.
Arcee stabbing Blast Off with her sword gets a minor call back in Till All Are One #1.
First appearances: Arcee; Repugnus, Longtooth, Skyjack, and Ransack appear as disembodied sparks only; Cloudraker, Fastlane, Jackpot, Rad, Skyfall, Windbreaker, Over-Run, Turbofire, Vroom, Rollout, Sprocket; Roadblock, Brawl, Vortex; Jhiaxus.
After bringing Arcee to the fore in the Robots in Disguise and Optimus Prime comics—and introducing numerous other female Transformers along the way—author John Barber would sporadically touch on the events surrounding Arcee's origin story, fleshing out background details and providing some subtle retcons.
Spotlight: Arcee depicts Arcee with an Autobot insignia, implying that she was, at one point, an ordinary Autobot, presumably before her encounter with Jhiaxus. When Arcee became a prominent character in Barber's Robots in Disguise comic, this conceit was quietly dropped; Robots in Disguise #18 shows her carving an improvised Autobot insignia into her arm, and Bumblebee reacts with surprise when she announces her intent to join the faction. Subsequent instalments would establish Arcee as an ancient warrior, a contemporary of the Thirteen who predated the rise of the Autobots by several million years.
Windblade would introduce the lost colony world of Caminus, a planet where female and male Transformers coexisted. Although Windblade implied that these developments were the result of speciation, "The Transformers vol. 2 #37 revealed that ancient Cybertron did possess both female Transformers and an understanding of gender; thus, Jhiaxus's experiments on Arcee (and the existence of Monstructor) were attempts to restore lost elements of ancient Cybertronian civilization.
In Sins of the Wreckers#3, Arcee's internal monologue implied that she had, at least to some extent, consented to Jhiaxus's experiments, as she hadn't seen the malevolent scientist for who he truly was. Later issues suggested that Arcee was struggling with identity issues even before the incident; narration from her point of view recognized her prior self as a "lie [she] told herself" <ref>"New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost"</ref> and her current form as "who she was always meant to be".<ref>All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message</ref> Flashbacks in Optimus Prime and Unicron didn't use gendered pronouns for Arcee, but showed that her original body closely resembled her brother Galvatron. Finally, Optimus Prime #25 laid out what had really happened between the two: Arcee explained she had been "forged male", and that she'd deliberately sought out Jhiaxus for assistance in transitioning. Her violent behavior was not a product of the transition itself, but instead stemmed from a combination of unforseen side effects and Jhiaxus's non-existent aftercare. Arcee's mental state in this issue was retroactively attributed to the recent disappearance of Anode, a fellow transgender Cybertronian whom Arcee had befriended offscreen at some point after Jhiaxus abandoned her.
This issue's cast is another deep dive into the tail end of the Generation 1 line. Most of the Garrus-9 guards are Action Masters; we also get a smattering of later-run Pretenders.
Part of Furman's work in early IDW was coming up with new, coherent reasons and rationales for various toy gimmicks. This Spotlight controversially aimed to give a reason for why Transformers have genders, something Furman thought didn't make sense for robots that don't reproduce sexually. <ref>Script (W)Rap at Furman's Wordpress</ref> It was not considered by him to be a story about Arcee's gender being changed or touching on any trans issues (both things fans had brought up at the time) as, to him, there was no gender.<ref>Furman comment on Arcee-A-Go-Go post</ref>
Six years later, the comic caused a brief conflict between Furman and Mairghread Scott, who developed IDW's second female Transformer, Windblade. Scott implied that Windblade wouldn't have a special origin for being female and when asked about Spotlight: Arcee, she said she found the implications of Arcee's gender making her mad and a woman being the aberration "upsetting". She clarified that she didn't believe Furman was trying to make any gender comments, that "in a vacuum, Furman’s story is completely legitimate" (but sadly stories do not exist in a social & cultural vacuum), and pinned the blame on how rare female characters were in the brand; "Arcee’s origin is offensive because we don’t have any other female origins to balance it".<ref>Shotgun Mermaid (Mairghread Scott's tumblr), 27 December 2013</ref> Furman considered this a personal attack, "accus[ing] me of apparently setting out to be offensive to women", and also took issue with another creator "sling[ing] mud", believing they had a duty to be respectful when discussing each other's work. "However ‘carefully’ Mrs. Scott chose her words, the message was the same: Spotlight Arcee was some derogatory and misguided portrait of all women and we’re going to fix that."<ref>Furman Q&A: "Response to Maigrhead Scott" (and comments</ref> Scott and Furman talked and "ironed out the bumps" a few days later.
The issue contains bonus sketch art by Alex Milne, including color tests for Arcee.
More of an inconsistency, but Fortress Maximus as previously (and briefly) seen in Spotlight: Blaster appeared to be based on his traditional G1 design, whereas Milne debuts a brand-new original design for him in this issue. Seeing how close the two comics were released, this is probably just a matter of reference material not being available at the right time.
{{#if: Graduated from St. Trinians with honors. |
Kiss me deadly
Look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors...
RI Cover
Spotlight Volume 3 – cover art by Marcelo Matere
The Premiere Collection Volume 2 – cover art by Nick Roche & Josh Burcham
The IDW Collection Volume Three – cover art by E. J. Su
Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1 – cover art by Jeffrey Veregge
The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 42: Revelation – cover art by Don Figueroa and Nick Roche
